House of Cards
War & Politics, Comedy, Drama • 1990 • 55m
Part 1
Francis Urquhart is the perfect politician. Impeccably diplomatic, charming, admired, trusted and respected by all. He has faithfully served his party without question, but events are about to spark his ambition. When the long-standing Prime Minister dies, the hunt is on to find a replacement. Urquhart is a hard-line Conservative and believes in strong leadership. In his eyes, none of the choices measures up. Naturally, he keeps his opinions to himself, but as Party Whip, his support is valuable, and he is courted by all the candidates. He must tread warily, as supporting the loser could cost him his position. Supporting the winner, however, could land him a Cabinet position.
Part 2
The new Prime Minister, Collingridge, tells Urquhart that he is far too valuable in his current post to be offered a ministerial position. Urquhart is furious but hides his contempt of the man under his usual urbane smile. Collingridge, he believes, will not last long and perhaps something can be arranged to hasten his departure. Meanwhile, it might be a good idea to surreptitiously undermine the leader and start maneuvering in his own favor. And, as luck would have it, an inexperienced young journalist, Mattie Storin, is innocently hanging on his every word. He pretends to be helping her learn about Westminster politics, instead he uses her to leak damaging stories about his rivals. As the Party gathers for its annual conference, the scandals begin to break.
Part 3
Collingridge is in deep political trouble and he has no alternative but to step down as Prime Minister. Ironically, he still has great faith in Urquhart, whom he feels is the only man he can trust. However, as the scandals and leaked stories have gained momentum, political journalist Mattie Storin begins to suspect that Collingridge has been framed. But who is the culprit? By now, she is too emotionally involved with Urquhart (her loving “Daddy”) to realize how she has been used.
Part 4
Urquhart’s ruthless scheming has worked. As the leadership election looms, all his leading rivals have been discredited. But even though the obstacles in his way have been erased, there is still no guarantee of his winning. Meanwhile, by the process of reason and elimination, the truth is beginning to dawn on Mattie, though she can hardly bring herself to believe that “Daddy” is not what he seems. As for Urquhart, he has too much to lose now to let sentiment stand in his way. He will go to any lengths to prevent her, or anyone else, from finding out just what he has done to gain power.
Cast
Reviews
As political dramas go, they just don't come any better than this - and Ian Richardson proves a master as an epitome of an ambitious schemer that even Machiavelli would have been proud of. He is "Urquhart", the chief whip of a government under new leadership. It's "Collingwood" (David Lyon) who takes the top job, but when he decides against promoting this local secret-keeper, he makes quite a mistake. Fuelled by his conceivably even more ambitious wife "Elizabeth" (Diane Fletcher) and taking advantage of the naive and malleable young journalist "Mattie" (Susannah Harker) he starts on a wonderfully evil, internecine and charmingly menacing yellow (or perhaps black) brick road of his own to Number 10. It's written with some potently insightful insider knowledge of just how power-brokering works, with "Urquhart" using his frequently droll or reprimanding pieces to camera to try and justify his actions, his appraisals of his colleagues and deliver his comically potent use of other people's desires to climb the grassy pole, really entertainingly. The ensemble cast are best summed up via a pithily described platform at the party conference when we are treated to his candid views of each of his colleagues in as disparaging a fashion as possible. There are also super efforts from Miles Anderson as the coke-head press officer "O'Neill" and from Colin Jeavons as his almost ophidian deputy "Stamper" as strings are pulled and careers laid asunder. It's a gloriously effective, satiric, swipe at the introspective and incompetent political class, and shows the ruthlessness of a man with a keen brain in a drama I can watch again and again.
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